About Llais yr Afon

Llais yr Afon is a partnership project between Small World Theatre, spacetocreate, West Wales Rivers Trust and Save the Teifi supported by the The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Esmee Fairbairn Foundation's Blue Spaces Programme.

The River Teifi

The River Teifi is one of Wales' most iconic waterways, renowned for its rich and diverse wildlife, cultural heritage, and historical significance. However, like many rivers, it faces increasing pressures from pollution, climate change, and unsustainable land use.

The project worked with communities across the Lower Teifi Valley – Cenarth, Llechryd, Cilgerran, Aberteifi, and Llandudoch – using arts and citizen science. A schools programme was developed and piloted with pupils from Cenarth and Llechryd primary schools, taking as its inspiration and starting point the magnificent Idris Mathias manuscript map, made between 1945 and 1962. This phase also supported West Wales Rivers Trust to produce The People's Plan for the River Teifi (see link here).

The People's Plan sets out a shared vision for the river's future, prioritising ecological health, sustainable management, and community involvement. It identified five key themes of public concern that will guide future engagement.

The next phase rolled the programme out to the schools and communities of Cilgerran, Aberteifi and Llandudoch. A summer programme of community events and festivals used the themes from The People's Plan to generate visual assets and content for a contemporary folk map and website.

At the end of this project, spacetocreate worked in a creative collaboration with graphic designer Heidi Baker to develop the concept and design of a contemporary map for the exhibition which showcases

• The late Idris Mathias' manuscript map of the Lower Teifi Valley
• Five banners celebrating the river
• A new contemporary map featuring community artworks linking to online galleries hosting drama and visual artwork by participants, as well as audio and film interviews with local people

llaisyrafon.cymru is a digital record of the project aiming to preserve the outputs in a way that is accessible to all. Showcasing the contemporary map and containing the galleries of the creative output by the participants. Created locally, by web developer Steve Knight, the site is designed to be accessible, and easy to host/maintain in the long term.

The Legacy

Llais yr Afon has brought together communities, artists, scientists, activists and environmentalists to reimagine the future of the River Teifi. Through creative workshops, citizen science, and public events, the project built stronger connections between people and place, deepened understanding of the river's challenges, and inspired a sense of shared responsibility for its care.

The project's legacy lies both in the creation of the People's Plan, a living document shaped by local voices that will continue to inform and inspire future action for the river's restoration. As well as the contemporary folk map which will continue to tour, with the artwork and resources remaining online in the public domain through this website. Thus providing a visual and virtual record and lasting legacy for the project.

Llais yr Afon has demonstrated how creativity and science can work hand in hand to spark conversation, build knowledge, and nurture hope. Its influence will continue to flow through the Lower Teifi Valley, strengthening the collective voice for a healthy and thriving river for generations to come.